近日，观韬中茂律师事务所香港办公室与何耀棣律师事务所宣布在香港正式开启联营，迈入战略合作新阶段。
据悉，观韬香港成立于2008年，此前经过与王泽长·周淑娴·周永健律师行三年的联营，已于2016年2月完成本地化，可同时提供香港法及中国法的法律服务。其业务领域涵盖公司业务、纠纷解决、房地产、公司设立及秘书服务、国际公证、中国委托公证等，尤其着重各项跨境业务。
总部位于香港的何耀棣律师事务所成立于1977年，是香港最具规模及最为人熟悉的独立华资律师事务所之一。除了香港之外，该所还在上海、广州设有办公室，现共有约130名员工。其业务领域涵盖银行金融、商业并购、资本市场、债券发行、基金设立、房地产买卖租赁、仲裁诉讼、破产重组、知识产权、保险、信托、公证等法律服务。
观韬中茂香港办公室管理合伙人闫芃芃律师告诉ALB：“联营期间何耀棣的主管合伙人黄永昌律师加入观韬香港担任顾问律师，我亦同时加入何耀棣担任顾问律师。观韬与何耀棣在香港联营，将大大提升我们提供一站式、优质、高效的跨境法律服务能力。”
何耀棣律师事务所主管合伙人黄永昌律师表示：“何耀棣律师事务所与观韬律师事务所（香港）在这时刻开展联营是有重大战略意义，联营后我们将加快香港与观韬内地各办公室的融合与协调，更好地服务日益增长的跨境法律服务需求，特别是有关粤港澳大湾区业务的发展。”
观韬中茂香港办公室目前共有5位合伙人以及4位顾问，而何耀棣则拥有超过40位律师，其中包括16名合伙人。
PRC’s Guantao, Hong Kong law firm Gallant in association
The Hong Kong office of PRC law firm Guantao has entered into an association with local firm Gallant with the aim to better service clients when it comes to cross-border legal work, specially in relation to the Greater Bay Area.
This is not Guantao’s first Hong Kong association, as it had entered into a three-year tie-up with Peter C. Wong, Chow & Chow as part of market entry requirements for non-local law firms. Operating independently since February 2016, Guantao Hong Kong provides both SAR and Chinese law advice focusing on corporate finance, conveyancing, dispute resolution, company secretarial, China attesting and notary public, with an especial focus on cross-border transactions.
Gallant, which was established in 1977, currently has offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. It provides corporate, commercial and property-related activities (contentious and non-contentious), including capital markets work, corporate and commercial, M&A, banking and finance, China practice, trust and private clients, intellectual property, project developments and commercial real estate, conveyancing and tenancy, wills and probate, insurance, insolvency, mediation, arbitration and litigation.
“During the association, Mr. Philip Wong, senior partner of Gallant, will join Guantao HK as consultant and I will also join Gallant as consultant at the same time. The association will enhance our capability of providing cross-border one-stop legal services effectively and efficiently,” said Grace Yan, managing partner of Guantao Hong Kong, in a WeChat interview with ALB.
“The association between Gallant and Guantao Hong Kong has a significant strategic significance at this moment. Through association with Guantao, we can integrate resources of Hong Kong and Guantao’s various mainland offices, satisfying the growing demand for cross-border legal services, especially in relation to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area business development,” added Wong.
Guantao Hong Kong now has five partners and four consultants while Gallant has more than 40 lawyers, including 16 partners.
